Gallipoli Flashcards
Allies
To place in a friendly association, as by treaty. Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States in WW1 were known as the allies
Censorship
Suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.
Central Powers
Germany and its allies (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) in World War I
Conscription
Compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the armed forces
Desertion
The action of illegally leaving the armed forces
Empire
An extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state
Enlist
Enrol or be enrolled in the armed services
Home front
The sphere of civilian activity in war
Imperialism
a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means
Western Front
The zone of fighting in western Europe in the First World War, in which the German army engaged the armies to its west
Why NZ joined the war?
New Zealand was willing to participate for reasons of sentiment, economic interest and security
What started the war?
The fundamental reason for the war was the rise of Prussian-dominated Germany in the late 19th century. This destabilised the balance of power in Europe. By the early 1900s an uneasy alliance system had emerged in which Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (the Triple Alliance) confronted France, Russia and the United Kingdom (the Entente powers, or the Allies)
Public Opinion
Most New Zealanders favoured supporting the British Empire; many were enthusiastic. ‘War fever’ was present in New Zealand, as in Europe. It derived from jingoistic nationalism, a belief in the glory of war and expectation that the war would be short. Kinship ties, and the belief that New Zealanders were ‘British’, were also powerful motivating forces.
National Interests
Although sentiment shaped New Zealand’s approach, there was a solid foundation of national interest. In 1914 New Zealand was very dependent on Britain. New Zealand had prospered through its exports of agricultural produce, though this reliance on the British market rendered it vulnerable to any interruption of the flow of goods. Both the market and the sea routes to its market were vital New Zealand interests.
Security
New Zealanders regarded British sea power as the key to their security – and were conscious that by 1914 the supremacy it had enjoyed in the mid-19th century had long since disappeared. New Zealanders were acutely aware of the dangers of defeat. Apart from the economic or physical threats, New Zealand, as one of the empire’s territories, could become a bargaining chip on a peace settlement table. Much of the existing British Empire had been acquired from defeated enemies. New Zealand’s overriding strategy was to prevent such a situation.
